Huskies defend their home field against East Valley
CALEB PEREZ | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 months, 2 weeks AGO
Huskies senior Luis Farias leaps in the air along with an East Valley player as they collide for possession of the ball. Farias said the Huskies knew it was going to be a competitive game, but they stuck it out and held their own.
CALEB PEREZ/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Orlando Farias, a junior from Othello, races alongside an East Valley player while making a push toward the goal. Farias leads the team in scoring with five goals this season.
Othello sophomore Samuel Marroquin takes the ball along the sideline as he looks for an open teammate.
Carlos Huaracha, a senior from the Huskies, races a player from East Valley as they chase the ball Tuesday evening.
Huskies freshman Tomas Solano gains control of the ball as he makes a push downfield.
Andrew Sorenson, a senior from Othello, chases after a player from East Valley and tries to take possession of the ball for the Huskies.
OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies (5-1) played a tight game against East Valley (7-1) Tuesday evening, where a single score by Huskies junior Orlando Farias won the game. Following what the Othello coaches called a “gutsy win,” the Huskies prepare to head deeper into league play as the season heats up.
“Our game plan to come into (Tuesday) was to see what we were able to do,” said Huskies Assistant Coach Kevin Hensley. “Combat their style of play, the way they play out of the back. Apply pressure there and make things uncomfortable for them. Hope to get a goal early in the match and then play with a defensive mindset from that point forward.”
The lone score of the evening came in the first half, when Othello freshman Tomas Solano assisted Farias in putting the ball in the back of the net to put the score 1-0. The Huskies continued to put pressure on East Valley for the remainder of the half.
Coming out of halftime, the Huskies put up a strong defensive display with Edgar Sanchez, Miguel Sandoval, Johndel Garcia, Guillermo Chavez and Elijah Vasquez making plays to keep the ball in Othello’s possession. The Huskies closed out the game to give East Valley their first loss of the season.
When East Valley took shots on goal, the Huskies’ freshman keeper Giovanni Tapia made blocks to shut out the opposing offensive front. Farias, a first-time varsity player, was highlighted by the coaches as he leads the team with five goals on the season.
“They did what we asked them to do,” said Hensley. “They played with a lot of heart, they played with a lot of teamwork and they gutted it out. Some of those guys played for the entire 80 minutes and we’re really proud of the effort that they gave.”
Coach Hensley has been acting as the interim head coach for the Huskies while Head Coach Bernie Garza takes time to rest after suffering a medical emergency last Thursday.
Hensley said the Huskies gained a boost in momentum following their third league victory, and he wants the team to ride that momentum for their upcoming games.
“We’ve got big games coming up; everything’s a league game from now on and they’re all games that we expect to win, and we’re going to push our guys to be successful in those games,” he said. “Momentum is a huge thing in high school sports, no matter what the sport is, so we’ve got to ride that momentum wave.”
Even with the success of Tuesday’s game, the coaches said there is still a lot they want the Huskies to work on as they get ready for their upcoming games such as finishing in front of the goal and putting up a tighter defense.
“Our guys played a good clean game,” said Hensley. “We played physically, didn’t let the emotions get the best of us and that’s the way we’re going to play it. If that’s our style of play, I’ll take it.”
The Huskies head on the road Saturday to face the Ephrata Tigers at noon.
BOX SCORE
EVLY: 0-0: 0
OTHL: 1-0: 1
Orlando Farias, a junior from Othello, races alongside an East Valley player while making a push toward the goal. Farias leads the team in scoring with five goals this season.
Othello sophomore Samuel Marroquin takes the ball along the sideline as he looks for an open teammate.
Carlos Huaracha, a senior from the Huskies, races a player from East Valley as they chase the ball Tuesday evening.
Huskies freshman Tomas Solano gains control of the ball as he makes a push downfield.
Andrew Sorenson, a senior from Othello, chases after a player from East Valley and tries to take possession of the ball for the Huskies.ARTICLES BY CALEB PEREZ
Erickson looks back on a busy and successful four-sport high school career
WARDEN — A four-sport athlete is not someone you often come across due to the time and dedication it takes for success in one sport, but for Amaya Erickson, tackling that challenge was something she was up for in her senior season. “My family’s always been really big into sports,” said Erickson. “Both my parents have played and my siblings both play, so I guess they’re all a really great inspiration for me.”
Tigers start summer 3-1 after split with Sunnyside Christian
EPHRATA — The Ephrata Tiger Baseball Club (3-1) finished their second matchup of the season as they split a doubleheader with Sunnyside Christian Tuesday evening. “I was pleased with a lot of aspects of the doubleheader,” said Tigers Head Coach David Tempel. “The summertime is all about development and getting some experience. The good part about (Tuesday) is we were in some different situations that we haven’t seen much, so we were able to learn from those and use those to our advantage.” Sunnyside was the first on the board during game one as they put up two runs in the top of the second inning. The Tigers responded at the bottom of the third as they put up five runs to claim the lead.
Fletcher named new Eagles volleyball head coach
SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake Eagles volleyball team will be under new leadership this fall as Erin Fletcher has been selected as the new head coach. She is following the successful tenure of the previous head coach, Nikki Noble, who helped guide the team to multiple state appearances over the years. “I’m so excited,” said Fletcher. “I’ve had the opportunity to watch these girls play the last couple years as a (referee). I’m really excited to be able to step in after Coach Noble and continue on that winning and competitive spirit that they’ve had for so long and kind of take it now to the next level.” Her love for athletics came from growing up in an athletic family of basketball players, but in second grade, she became the first in her family to start playing volleyball. From there, a passion for volleyball began to grow.